Introduction
We continue with the prophecy of destruction concerning Moav. Until now, the prophet described the devastation and ruin coming upon Moav, even offering them explicit advice: abandon the cities, dwell in the crags, flee to the wilderness, and save your lives. From here on, the prophet explains why they refused to heed this advice, what their end will be, and the attitude of a prophet of Israel toward the catastrophe befalling a gentile nation. Ultimately, we will also reach the promise of "Yet I will restore the captivity of Moav in the end of days."
Eminence, Pride, and Haughtiness - Three Distinct Concepts
שָׁמַעְנוּ גְאוֹן־מוֹאָב גֵּאֶה מְאֹד גׇּבְהוֹ וּגְאוֹנוֹ וְגַאֲוָתוֹ וְרֻם לִבּוֹ׃ - We have heard of the pride of Moav, he is exceedingly proud - his loftiness, his pride, his arrogance, and the haughtiness of his heart.
In contrast to what was said to them earlier - to leave the cities and flee to the wilderness, and thereby be saved from the enemy - the prophet now says: but we have heard of the pride of Moav. There are those who feel no need for anyone to offer them advice; they know everything, understand everything, and consider themselves brilliant. A political cartoon once depicted Ehud Barak conferring with another figure, who was also Barak himself, captioned: "Barak and his advisor." There are people who act as their own sole advisors. Thus the prophet says: There is no one to talk to. I try to convince them to leave, I tell them to flee, I tell them they stand no chance - yet out of their eminence and pride, they refuse to flee to the wilderness, thinking, "We are strong, we are mighty warriors, we will overcome them."
The Malbim asks: What is the meaning of this multiplicity of expressions - geon, ge'eh, govho, ge'ono, ga'avato, and rom libo? He explains that these are not mere synonyms. Ga'avah (pride) is an illusion: a person becomes proud in his heart, imagining that he possesses greatness. Ge'on (eminence), on the other hand, is real - he is truly elevated above others and possesses genuine virtue. Loftiness (govah) and eminence (gaon) give birth to one another: because he is elevated above his peers, he is noted for eminence, greatness, and actual superiority over them. Haughtiness of heart (rom levav), however, is the product of pride: once a person becomes proud - and pride, as noted, is imaginary - his heart immediately swells, and he becomes convinced that he is the most knowledgeable, the most talented, the most insightful, the most wise - he and only he.
"I Know" - Hatred, Thoughts, and Ingratitude
אֲנִי יָדַעְתִּי נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה עֶבְרָתוֹ וְלֹא־כֵן בַּדָּיו לֹא־כֵן עָשׂוּ׃ - I know his wrath, says the Lord, but it is not so; his boastings, they have not acted rightly.
"I know his wrath, says the Lord" - the hatred that Moav harbored toward the Jewish people, which is the reason Hashem exacts retribution from them. "They have not acted rightly" - they did not repay the descendants of Avraham as was fitting. After all, Avraham Avinu went to war to rescue your forefather Lot, and they ought to have shown gratitude. Yet not only did they fail to show gratitude to the descendants of Avraham, but they actively persecuted Israel and caused them distress.
The Malbim explains: "I know, says the Lord" - this punishment comes from Me. First, because I knew his wrath and anger toward Israel, and therefore "they have not acted rightly," meaning they did not flee. Since they harbor hatred toward Israel, and since they receive this prophecy through Yirmiyahu the prophet, they refuse to listen to what is said. Sound advice is offered to them to flee, but their hatred and fury toward Israel prevent them from heeding the good counsel being given.
Furthermore, "I know his false boasts (baddav)." What is the meaning of baddav? There are three interpretations here. The Malbim explains it as his thoughts. Radak offers a similar view, interpreting it as his falsehoods. This, incidentally, is the origin of the Hebrew expression sipurei badim (tall tales or fabrications) - which has nothing to do with cloth or fabric (badim), but rather refers to something fabricated (badui) from human imagination, something fictitious. That is to say: I know his thoughts, for he thinks in his heart, "I will succeed in defeating the enemy; I will prevail over him." Therefore, they do not flee, for if one is certain of victory, why run away? Rashi offers another interpretation: baddav refers to his mighty warriors. And "they have not acted rightly" - meaning they did not repay the descendants of Avraham with appropriate gratitude, but rather, as explained earlier, caused them further distress.
"I Will Wail for Moav" - And the Hospital in Kir-Cheres
עַל־כֵּן עַל־מוֹאָב אֲיֵלִיל וּלְמוֹאָב כֻּלֹּה אֶזְעָק אֶל־אַנְשֵׁי קִיר־חֶרֶשׂ יֶהְגֶּה׃ - Therefore I will wail over Moab, and cry out for all Moab; one shall moan for the men of Kir-heres.
Since they do not flee as I advise them, "Therefore I will wail over Moab," for it is clear that Moab will fall. And what remains to be done for them in such a situation? Only to wail, because the end is certain and absolute. "And cry out for all Moab" - do not think that only the warriors and men of war will be struck; no, all of them will be killed.
And what is "for the men of Kir-heres one shall moan [yehgeh]"? The Malbim notes that there is a parallel prophecy in Yeshayahu (chapter 15 and onward), where it says, "For the foundations of Kir-chareshet you shall moan [tehgu], only stricken." Here we have parallel expressions: "Kir-cheres yehgeh" and "Kir-chareshet tehgu." And what does this mean? The Malbim explains that they had a hospital in Kir-chareshet, and the wounded in battle were brought to this place called Kir-chareshet. This is what is meant by "For the foundations and fortresses of Kir-chareshet you shall carry the stricken" - the broken who fell in battle, where will you remove them? "Tehgu" is an expression of removal from a place, as in "remove [hagu] from the highway" - meaning, remove them from the battlefield to the hospital in Kir-chareshet, the place where all the battle casualties were brought. Here too: to the people of Kir-cheres will be brought all the men who will be wounded and struck in the battle where Moab falls. In simple terms: Moab's end is near and the casualties are vast, yet despite all this Moab does not listen and does not flee, but stubbornly insists on remaining in place.
The Malbim notes a difference in phrasing: in Yeshayahu it is written, "Moab shall wail for Moab" - who wails for Moab? Moab itself. Based on what we explained, this is wonderfully understood: Moab itself is to blame for not fleeing, as it was advised to flee and did not flee, so it will wail over itself. Here, however, Yirmiyahu says, "Therefore I will wail over Moab" - I will wail over it, because its failure to flee came from Hashem. In Yeshayahu, Moab wails over itself, whereas here the prophet himself wails over them, because Hashem put counsel into their hearts not to flee, so that they would receive the punishment they deserved.
A "Heidad" That Is No Heidad
וְנֶאֶסְפָה שִׂמְחָה וָגִיל מִכַּרְמֶל וּמֵאֶרֶץ מוֹאָב וְיַיִן מִיקָבִים הִשְׁבַּתִּי לֹא־יִדְרֹךְ הֵידָד הֵידָד לֹא הֵידָד׃ - Gladness and joy are taken away from the fruitful field and from the land of Moab, and I have caused wine to cease from the winepresses; none shall tread with shouting, their shouting is no shouting.
There was a rhythm to treading the winepresses: either they sang to a certain beat, or a drum beat out the rhythm, and thus they kept the pace, shouting "Heidad, heidad!" The prophet says that they will not shout heidad, because this heidad is not a true shout of joy. That is to say: a cry of ruin is different from a shout of joy, and the cry there will not be a shout of joy, but a cry of devastation and wailing, for the enemy will come and strike them, leaving many wounded and many slain. Thus, gladness and joy are gathered away; they will have no joy and gladness, and they will be unable to operate either the harvest or the winepresses properly. On the contrary - instead of a joyous shout, their shout will be one of grief and groaning.
From the Cry of Heshbon - The Cry of the Warriors
מִזַּעֲקַת חֶשְׁבּוֹן עַד־אֶלְעָלֵה עַד־יַהַץ נָתְנוּ קוֹלָם מִצֹּעַר עַד־חֹרֹנַיִם עֶגְלַת שְׁלִשִׁיָּה כִּי גַּם־מֵי נִמְרִים לִמְשַׁמּוֹת יִהְיוּ׃ - From the cry of Heshbon unto Elealeh, even unto Yahatz, have they uttered their voice, from Tzoar unto Choronayim, as a heifer of three years old; for the waters of Nimrim also shall become desolate.
They raised a cry of anguish as far as Elealeh and Yahatz, which are names of cities in Moab, and likewise uttered their voice from Tzoar to Choronayim. And who were those who uttered their voice? "Eglat shelishiyah." The Malbim explains that this refers to the circle [ma'agal] of warriors, related to "and captains [shalishim] over all of them" - the shalishim are the battle warriors. In other words, the circle of warriors present there on the battlefield raised its voice: even the mighty warriors will cry a cry of ruin and defeat. "From the cry of Heshbon" - Heshbon was the first to cry out, because the enemy reached the city of Heshbon first, and from there the outcry spread to Elealeh and Yahatz, and from Tzoar to Choronayim.
"For the waters of Nimrim also shall become desolate" - the waters of Nimrim, the Malbim explains, was a large shipping port used for commerce, and it too will become "desolate [limshamot]," meaning total desolation, as it too will be shut down and destroyed by the enemy's force.
There are other interpretations of "eglat shelishiyah": Radak explains that shelishiyah means large, or that it refers to a three-year-old heifer, which is considered of prime quality. Rashi explains based on the Targum that it refers to a mighty land, in the sense of warriors, and this aligns with the Malbim's explanation that relates it to "and captains [shalishim] over all of them," the mighty warriors.
Putting an End to Idolatry
וְהִשְׁבַּתִּי לְמוֹאָב נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה מַעֲלֶה בָמָה וּמַקְטִיר לֵאלֹהָיו׃ - And I will cause to cease in Moav, says Hashem, him that offers on the high place, and him that burns incense to his gods.
I will cause to cease from Moav the one who offers upon the high place - a person who brings an animal as an offering on a *bamah* - and I will also put an end to the one who burns incense to his gods, whoever offers incense to idolatry.
"My Heart Moans for Moav Like Flutes"
עַל־כֵּן לִבִּי לְמוֹאָב כַּחֲלִלִים יֶהֱמֶה וְלִבִּי אֶל־אַנְשֵׁי קִיר־חֶרֶשׂ כַּחֲלִילִים יֶהֱמֶה עַל־כֵּן יִתְרַת עָשָׂה אָבָדוּ׃ - Therefore my heart moans for Moav like flutes, and my heart moans like flutes for the men of Kir-cheres; therefore the wealth they produced has perished.
Moav will be stricken in battle, and my heart goes out to them. "And my heart moans like flutes for the men of Kir-cheres" - this was the place where the sick and wounded lay, and my heart moans for them as well. "Like flutes" - in those times, they would bring flutes to funerals. Just as they hired professional wailing women, there were people who played the flute and were brought to the funeral, playing lyrical melodies that stirred crying and grief over the deceased. This is the meaning of "moans like flutes": just like the flutes brought to a house of mourning, so does my heart moan over the death of the people of Moav and over their wounded - the men of Kir-cheres, which, as the Malbim explains, was the place called Chereshet, the hospital where all the wounded were evacuated.
"Therefore the wealth they produced has perished" - the Malbim explains: *itrat asah* perished, meaning the profit they had amassed, all the nation's wealth, the vast surplus they accumulated in their accounts - it was all lost to them. Rashi interprets differently: "itrat asah" - because of the excessive pride (*ga'avah yeterah*) they practiced, they perished. "Itrat" is related to *yeter* (excess); they harbored excessive pride, and that is what caused their destruction. Had they possessed even a bit of modesty and humility, they would have heeded the prophet's counsel advising them to flee, and they would have fled and saved their lives. But they did not listen, and therefore they perished.
Seventy Bulls - Do We Desire the Destruction of the Nations?
In connection with this verse, let us recall a thought shared regarding the festival of Sukkot. On Sukkot, the Jewish people offer seventy bulls corresponding to the seventy nations. And the people of Israel say: Master of the Universe, we offer seventy bulls on their behalf, yet they hate us unjustifiably! We bring offerings for the peace and well-being of the nations, so why do they hate us? Yet seemingly, there is a puzzling detail here: if one notices, the seventy bulls steadily decrease in number - thirteen on the first day, down to seven on the seventh day. And Rashi explains that this reduction symbolizes destruction. If so, we are offering bulls for the nations, yet marking them with a symbol of destruction - and then expect them to love us? What is the deeper understanding here?
In truth, we must realize: the Holy One, Blessed be He, does not desire the destruction of any nation, and had He desired it, He would have said so. There is only one nation about whom it is commanded to wipe them out, and as long as this is not accomplished, His Name is not complete - and even that, they earned with full justification. This was not predetermined, for the Holy One does not create anything initially in order to destroy it. Hashem created them to exist, but they corrupted their deeds, and consequently it was said, "Hashem maintains a war against Amalek from generation to generation." It began because Amalek chose to wage war against Hashem, and so Hashem has a war against Amalek. But Hashem does not desire the destruction of any nation.
The proof of this: even before Klal Yisrael existed, when there was only Noach and the generation of the Flood, the Holy One sent Noach to speak to the people of the Flood and rebuke them, so that He would not bring destruction upon them. Hashem takes no pleasure in the death of the dead, even when speaking of a gentile. Avraham Avinu, the paragon of *chesed*, went and pleaded on behalf of the thoroughly wicked people of Sedom, and the Holy One did not say to him, "I desire their destruction." Rather, on the contrary: perhaps you will find a merit by which the people of Sedom may be spared.
And so we see in explicit verses in our text: "My heart moans for Moav." Rashi comments that the prophets of Israel are not like the prophets of the nations of the world. Bil'am sought to uproot Israel for no reason, for we had done nothing to him; such is the pastime of the nations, to fight Israel, to hate Israel, and to seek Israel's destruction. In contrast, Rashi explains, the prophets of Israel mourn over the calamity that befalls the nations: "Therefore my heart moans for Moav like flutes, and my heart moans like flutes for the men of Kir-cheres," and also, "For Moav I will wail, and for all of Moav I will cry out; for the men of Kir-cheres he shall groan," and "With the weeping of Yazer I will weep for you, O vine of Sibmah." Thus, the Divine will is for the nations to endure, and the Holy One does not desire their destruction - and this is why we offer sacrifices for the well-being of the nations.
If so, you might ask: why does the number of bulls decrease each day? The answer is that this is not meant to destroy them, but rather to eliminate them from our hearts. As long as the non-Jew remains in his place and Israel in their place, as long as the non-Jew's conduct has no influence on the Jewish people - the non-Jew has a purpose. And just as one does not hate cats and dogs, one does not hate gentiles either. Hashem created a cat, meaning that He desires it in the world. The holy Ari, of blessed memory, states that a person is not permitted to kill any living creature in the world unless it causes harm or there is a justified reason. A person walks down the street, sees a cockroach walking innocently along, and thinks perhaps someone will be frightened by it - so he goes and steps on it. Why? Hashem gave it life, so why are you killing it? If it is something harmful to you, or frightening and unpleasant inside the home, that is fine; but otherwise, a person is forbidden to kill any creature. If Hashem created it, it has a role in creation and Hashem desires it. Similarly, one should not pluck leaves or destroy a tree for no reason, even a non-fruit-bearing tree - for Hashem created it. If you have a need, by all means; but if there is no need at all, simply to destroy and sever a branch - why damage the creation the Holy One, blessed be He, created with no need and no purpose?
And if this is so regarding animals, how much more so regarding gentiles. Although they possess an animalistic soul, the Torah teaches that they possess a soul and an afterlife, and they are distinct from animals: an animal cannot become Jewish, whereas a gentile who converts can become part of Israel. Thus, Hashem desires that there be gentiles in the world, but He does not desire that they have an influence upon us. If a gentile does have an influence on us, the Torah has already warned, "they shall be pins in your eyes and thorns in your sides" - referring to those left behind when entering to conquer the Land. Incidentally, even regarding the nations that were here when conquering the Land, about whom it is said, "you shall not allow any soul to live," this was only after Yehoshua sent three proclamations, meaning letters: whoever wishes to make peace may make peace, but must vacate the Land; and against whoever refused, war was waged. But Hashem does not desire the destruction of the gentiles, even in the Future to Come: it does not say that in the Future to Come the nations will be destroyed. It says that we will hold sovereignty over the nations, not that they will be annihilated; as it is written, "Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks" - they will fulfill their purpose in the world. The role of the gentile is to serve holiness: the Jewish people are children of the Most High God, and the gentile's role is to serve the Jewish people, and thereby he fulfills his purpose in the world.
As is well known, this was essentially the role that Yitzchak intended for Eisav, which is why he specifically wanted to give him the blessings: he saw him as someone capable of hunting game and bringing it in, so that he could sustain Yaakov, allowing Yaakov to dwell peacefully as a dweller of tents. Therefore, he blessed him solely with material blessings - the dew of heaven, the fatness of the earth, grain and wine - for he was certain he was blessing Eisav, and gave him the tools to uphold Yaakov and support him. However, Yitzchak was already immersed in higher realms: he was already blind, and the Name of Hashem was already associated with him, meaning on the level of one who has already transcended and detached from this world, viewing matters as they will be in the Future to Come. But his wife Rivkah was still living in the reality down here, and she knew that if Yaakov had to rely on Eisav's table, he would starve to death - if Eisav did not kill him first. Eisav could not be relied upon, and therefore she ensured that Yaakov received the blessings. In any event, we learn that Eisav has a role which he currently does not fulfill, but which he will fulfill in the Future to Come.
This is also the reason for the well-known Gemara, where the Holy One, blessed be He, says: "Whoever worked with God, let him come and take his reward," and the first to come are the nations of the world. They will say: "We built bridges, we built bathhouses, and everything we did was only for the sake of Israel." Why do they say this? Because in the Future to Come, explains the Brisker Rov, it will become clear that everything the nations did here truly was for the Jewish people. If they invented the telephone - it was so people could hear Torah and speak words of Torah; everything was for Israel. Now they do not realize this, but in the Future to Come it will become clear, and then they will come and say: "Behold, we fulfilled our role; our role was to assist Israel in learning Torah, and we deserve a reward." The Holy One, blessed be He, will scoff at them, because in truth that was never their intention. Nevertheless, we see that they will then understand their true purpose in the world, and once they understand it, they will think they are entitled to a reward.
Thus, we have no desire to destroy the gentiles. Our desire is that the gentiles fulfill their role in the world - namely, that they not lead heresy, but rather be subservient before the servants of Hashem, before the righteous, before the Jewish people who are children to Hashem their God, doing whatever is necessary to bring the Jewish people to the fulfillment of their purpose in the world. This is the goal when we progressively diminish the sacrifices: we diminish them in order to diminish the influence of the foreigner upon us, not the foreigner himself. Let the foreigner remain - it does not bother us that there are a billion Chinese on the other side of the world, and if they serve Hashem, all the better, we will rejoice even more. But when the gentile constantly invents new things to distance us from His service, blessed be He, all kinds of iPhones and various inventions and ways to draw us away - that is where we have a complaint. We want the gentile's influence upon us to diminish, not, Heaven forbid, for the nations to be destroyed; we have no interest in that.
We must emphasize, however, that Radak and Targum Yonasan offer an interpretation here explaining that "my heart moans for Moav like flutes, and my heart moans like flutes for the men of Kir Cheres" is not the prophet speaking of his own feelings; rather, the prophet is describing what is in the hearts of Moav. The Targum renders: "Therefore, in the hearts of the Moabites they moan like a lyre; and their heart over the men of their fortified city is grieving like the music of pipes" - meaning the heart of the Moabites themselves. We, however, explained it according to the simple reading: that the description refers to the prophet himself, who says, "my heart moans for Moav."
Total Mourning in Every Home
כִּי כׇל־רֹאשׁ קׇרְחָה וְכׇל־זָקָן גְּרֻעָה עַל כׇּל־יָדַיִם גְּדֻדֹת וְעַל־מׇתְנַיִם שָׂק׃ - For every head is bald, and every beard clipped; upon all hands are gashes, and upon loins is sackcloth.
Their custom was that in times of mourning they would pluck the hair of their heads. This is the meaning of "every head is bald" - people tearing out their hair from intense grief and mourning, a sign that everyone will be in mourning, for death will strike every home. "And every beard clipped" - the beard is the splendor of the face, as Radak explains, and when a person shaves his beard he removes the glory of his face, as we find with "their beards shaved and their garments torn" as an expression of mourning. The verse does not say "every beard shaved" (megulachat), since shaving is often done for grooming, but rather "clipped" (geru'ah), from the connotation of being diminished and marred, which is a derogatory term. "Upon all hands are gashes" - related to "you shall not make gashes" (lo titgodedu), for they would lacerate themselves as a sign of mourning, cutting their hands and faces. "And upon loins is sackcloth" - for in times of grief and mourning they would put sackcloth around their waists. To such an extent will the mourning in Moav intensify.
Public Lamentation
עַל כׇּל־גַּגּוֹת מוֹאָב וּבִרְחֹבֹתֶיהָ כֻּלֹּה מִסְפֵּד כִּי־שָׁבַרְתִּי אֶת־מוֹאָב כִּכְלִי אֵין־חֵפֶץ בּוֹ נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה׃ - Upon all the rooftops of Moav and in its streets, it is entirely lamentation, for I have broken Moav like a vessel in which there is no desire, says Hashem.
The lamentation will be out in the open. When they wanted to express what they were experiencing - if it was joy, they would go up to the rooftops and shout shouts of joy; and if it was mourning, they would go up to the rooftops and cry out wails of grief. They had no messaging networks to notify a thousand subscribers that someone had died, nor any media broadcasts; whoever wanted to announce something went up to the roof and shouted. "It is entirely lamentation" - everywhere there will be mourning, for Moav will be shattered like a useless vessel, says Hashem.
"How It Is Broken!" - The Shame of the Manner of Defeat
אֵיךְ חַתָּה הֵילִילוּ אֵיךְ הִפְנָה־עֹרֶף מוֹאָב בּוֹשׁ וְהָיָה מוֹאָב לִשְׂחֹק וְלִמְחִתָּה לְכׇל־סְבִיבָיו׃ - "How it is shattered! Wail! How has Moav turned its back in shame! And Moav shall become a laughingstock and a terror to all its surroundings."
Beyond the ruin itself, they will mock the manner of the collapse, the way it was broken. "Broken," the Malbim defines, means effortlessly and without an actual battle. If a warrior fights and dies in battle, that is called a hero's death; but if he fled the battlefield and was struck down from behind as he ran, that is a disgrace. By contrast, one who fights and is struck down in the midst of the fray, amid the clashing of swords, is said to have fought to his last drop of blood. Among the nations, this mattered immensely: in what manner a person died. We see this with Avimelech: when a woman cast an upper millstone from atop the wall and fractured his skull, he begged his armor-bearer to strike him and kill him - why? So that people would not say a woman killed him. Evidently, the manner of one's death was of utmost importance to them: dying in battle was a heroic death, but otherwise, the headlines would proclaim that he died in utter disgrace.
Therefore, the verse says: part of Moav's disgrace is "how it is shattered" - how they were broken; "wail" - over this they will speak and wail, over their ignominious collapse. "How has Moav turned its back" - one who turns his back has fled the battlefield without fighting, which is a tremendous shame. "And Moav shall become a laughingstock and a terror to all its surroundings": first, they will laugh at them for being as feeble as women; and "a terror" (limchittah) - because through this, everyone will recognize that it was all guided by Divine Providence. For Moav was a powerful nation, so why should it suddenly fall in such a humiliating manner?
Like an Eagle Gliding - War in the Heart of the Land
כִּי־כֹה אָמַר יְהֹוָה הִנֵּה כַנֶּשֶׁר יִדְאֶה וּפָרַשׂ כְּנָפָיו אֶל־מוֹאָב׃ - "For so said Hashem: Behold, he shall swoop like an eagle, and spread his wings over Moav."
The enemy, who is Nevuchadnezzar, will fly like an eagle and come to wipe them out. The Malbim notes that this also describes the nature of the warfare: when an enemy attacks a country, the hardest part is breaching the border fortifications; once he gets past them, the rest is much easier, since the bulk of defenses and fortifications are stationed at the borders. Yet see the wonder here: "Behold, he shall swoop like an eagle, and spread his wings over Moav" - he is like an eagle that glides down and spreads its wings in the very heart of the country. Usually, there is a delay at the borders and it takes a long time to overcome the fortifications, but here he is like an eagle that, from the outset, spread his wings directly over Moav, over the center of the land.
And what is the difference between yid'eh (to swoop) and ya'uf (to fly)? The Malbim explains: la'uf refers to ordinary flight, while lido'ot means flying with great speed. Today, people often explain the difference as gliding without flapping wings versus flapping wings to fly; however, the Malbim distinguishes differently: gliding (de'iyah) denotes great speed, whereas flying (me'of) denotes calm, unhurried flight.
נִלְכְּדָה הַקְּרִיּוֹת וְהַמְּצָדוֹת נִתְפָּשָׂה וְהָיָה לֵב גִּבּוֹרֵי מוֹאָב בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא כְּלֵב אִשָּׁה מְצֵרָה׃ - "The cities were captured and the strongholds were seized, and the heart of the warriors of Moav on that day shall be like the heart of a woman in distress."
HaKeriyot is a fortified place, and the strongholds (metzadot) are likewise fortified citadels, and they too were seized. "And the heart of the warriors of Moav on that day shall be like the heart of a woman in distress" - on one hand, a woman, who is already physically weaker, and especially one who is metzerah, in distress; this is a double heartbreak. Radak explains that this refers to a woman in her most agonizing straits, "at the time she is in labor and gives birth," like a woman in labor during her contractions, which is the time of greatest anguish.
Notice the peculiar phrasing: nilkedah haKeriyot ("the cities was captured" - feminine singular verb with a plural noun). It seemingly should have said nilkedu haKeriyot in the plural. The Malbim explains that Scripture used a singular verb for a plural noun because Keriyot includes many cities, and the intention is that every single city among the Keriyot was captured - each and every one was seized. Rashi avoids this difficulty by explaining that "Keriyot" is the proper name of a specific city; thus it is beautifully understood: the city of Keriyot was captured, and it is written in the feminine singular because the word ir ("city") is feminine.
"And Moav Shall Be Destroyed from Being a Nation" - Until It Is Not Even Remembered as a People
וְנִשְׁמַד מוֹאָב מֵעָם כִּי עַל־יְהֹוָה הִגְדִּיל׃ - Moab shall be destroyed from being a nation, for he has magnified himself against Hashem.
The Malbim explains: when a nation falls in war, some memory of it usually remains for future generations - such a people once existed, and history remembers it and what befell it. Indeed, history knows of many nations that once were and are no more, and nearly all the peoples mentioned in the Torah no longer exist today as nations under the names recorded in Scripture. Here, however, because they fell like helpless women, the reality will be that they will not even be considered a nation at all, and history will not even remember that such a people as Moab ever existed. As long as you fight, people say: there was a nation here that fought; but since they were wiped out with such ease - "Moab shall be destroyed from being a nation" - no one will even remember that a people named Moab ever walked the earth.
Terror, Pit, and Snare - An Inescapable Trap
פַּחַד וָפַחַת וָפָח עָלֶיךָ יוֹשֵׁב מוֹאָב נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה׃ - Terror, and pit, and snare are upon you, O inhabitant of Moab, says Hashem.
Rashi explains that these are two harsh afflictions, terror and pit, that are bound up with one another: the terror causes him to flee, and the pit is the prepared trap into which he falls. In other words, a trap is prepared for him and he is terrified so that he flees directly into it. The Malbim explains how this was carried out in practice: to hunt wild animals, hunters would dig a large trench (*pachat*) in the earth, so that when the animal arrived it would plunge inside. Over the mouth of the pit they would set a baited snare (*pach yakush*), so that if the animal tried to climb out, there would be a trap to ensnare it, preventing any escape - a snare that would catch it and become an obstacle. To drive the animal into the pit, they would send hounds to terrify it and chase it toward that exact spot; it falls into the pit, attempts to climb out, and is caught in the snare.
הַנָּס מִפְּנֵי הַפַּחַד יִפֹּל אֶל־הַפַּחַת וְהָעֹלֶה מִן־הַפַּחַת יִלָּכֵד בַּפָּח כִּי־אָבִיא אֵלֶיהָ אֶל־מוֹאָב שְׁנַת פְּקֻדָּתָם נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה׃ - He who flees from the terror shall fall into the pit, and he who climbs out of the pit shall be caught in the snare; for I will bring upon her, upon Moab, the year of their visitation, says Hashem.
Whoever flees from the terror, like that beast pursued by hounds, will plunge into the pit prepared to capture them; and when he tries to climb out, the snare will seize him and give him no way out. In this manner, the Holy One, blessed be He, set the trap so that escape is entirely impossible. "For I will bring upon her, upon Moab" - why the apparent repetition? The Malbim explains: just as Scripture says "upon her, upon Jerusalem," when it wishes to stress that a decree is uniquely tailored for a specific recipient, it says "upon her" and then names the subject explicitly. "Upon her, upon Moab" - a unique measure prepared by the Holy One, blessed be He, tailored specifically for Moab. "The year of their visitation" - the year in which the Holy One, blessed be He, will visit upon them the retribution fitting to come upon them.
In the Shadow of Heshbon - The Fire That Consumed from the Border to the Crown
בְּצֵל חֶשְׁבּוֹן עָמְדוּ מִכֹּחַ נָסִים כִּי־אֵשׁ יָצָא מֵחֶשְׁבּוֹן וְלֶהָבָה מִבֵּין סִיחוֹן וַתֹּאכַל פְּאַת מוֹאָב וְקׇדְקֹד בְּנֵי שָׁאוֹן׃ - In the shadow of Heshbon the fugitives stood powerless, for a fire has gone forth from Heshbon, and a flame from the midst of Sihon, and has consumed the corner of Moab and the crown of the sons of tumult.
The fugitives, those who fled from the battlefield - for this entire passage describes an utter rout - come seeking the shadow of Heshbon, hoping to find shelter behind the walls and fortress of Heshbon, which was a heavily fortified city. But there the enemy arrived with great force, and "the fugitives stood powerless": through the sheer power of the enemies, they were forced to halt their flight. In other words, the verse should be understood as: "in the shadow of Heshbon they stood, overcome by force" - and who were they? The fugitives; because of the overwhelming strength of the advancing enemy, when the fugitives reached Heshbon they were brought to a standstill, for the enemy had already overtaken them there.
"For a fire has gone forth from Heshbon" - this is a poetic expression familiar to us from the Torah: "For a fire went out of Heshbon, a flame from the city of Sihon," the ancient proverb. From Heshbon a consuming fire went forth, which was the enemy that captured the fugitives there, and from the midst of Sihon came a flame burning far and wide, through which the enemy advanced. "And has consumed the corner of Moab" - the corner (*pe'ah*) refers to the borders and extremities, just like the corners of the head; the fire caught hold of the edges and consumed the crown as well. And who is the crown? "And the crown of the sons of tumult" - the fire raged and spread until it consumed the crown of the sons of tumult, referring to the inhabitants of the great, bustling cities. Why are the great cities called "tumult" (*sha'on*)? Because they are filled with great noise and the clamor of crowds. Thus, the fire that came from the midst of Sihon consumed first the borders of Moab at its extremities, and then burned straight through to the very crown of the great cities, the sons of tumult.
אוֹי־לְךָ מוֹאָב אָבַד עַם־כְּמוֹשׁ כִּי־לֻקְּחוּ בָנֶיךָ בַּשֶּׁבִי וּבְנֹתֶיךָ בַּשִּׁבְיָה׃ - Woe to you, Moab! The people of Chemosh are perished, for your sons are taken captive and your daughters into captivity.
Woe to you, Moab, for behold, now the people who worship Chemosh have perished - Chemosh was the god of Moab. "For your sons have been taken captive, and your daughters into captivity": your sons went as refugees, and now they too go into captivity before the enemy.
"Yet I will return the captivity of Moab in the end of days"
וְשַׁבְתִּי שְׁבוּת־מוֹאָב בְּאַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה עַד־הֵנָּה מִשְׁפַּט מוֹאָב׃ - Yet I will return the captivity of Moab in the end of days, says Hashem. Thus far is the judgment of Moab.
Radak says: Since it says here "in the end of days" (be-acharit ha-yamim), we understand that this is a future prophecy, referring to the coming of Moshiach. We will see the same later regarding the children of Ammon: "Yet afterward I will return the captivity of the children of Ammon," which also refers to the future era. This also appears in the prophecy of Zephaniah (chapter 2): "I have heard the reproach of Moab and the revilings of the children of Ammon, wherewith they have reproached My people and magnified themselves against their border. Therefore as I live, says Hashem of Hosts, the God of Israel: Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, a possession of nettles and salt-pits, and a desolation forever; the residue of My people shall spoil them, and the remnant of My nation shall inherit them. This shall they have for their pride, because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the people of Hashem of Hosts. Hashem will be terrible unto them, for He will famish all the gods of the earth; and men shall bow down to Him, every one from his place, even all the isles of the nations." Thus, the punishment comes because "he magnified himself against Hashem." And when will this take place? "And men shall bow down to Him, every one from his place, even all the isles of the nations" - in the days of Moshiach, when people will gather here from all the nations and say, "Come, let us go up to the House of Hashem" and bow before Him, and thousands will grasp the corner of a Jewish man's garment and say to him, "Take us with you to the House of Hashem, so that we may go and bow down before Hashem our God." From this, Radak proves that the prophecy "Yet I will return the captivity of Moab in the end of days" speaks of the ultimate end of days, and not of just a few years later.
Radak asks: Haven't the nations become intermingled, so how will "I will return the captivity of Moab" be fulfilled? Who today is an authentic Moabite? We have no way of knowing. Those living in Jordan? While that is the region of the land of Moab, can one know that every Jordanian is a Moabite? Radak answers: Even though they became intermingled among the nations, it is very likely that they were scattered close by - meaning, even if they were dispersed, they remained near their home, scattered among neighboring nations, and "I will return the captivity of Moab" means that they will draw close and return to their land. Furthermore, even though they intermingled with the nations, a trace of them still remains, meaning there are still authentic Moabites; and although we do not know who they are, the verse promises that they are destined to return. And in the end of days, Radak says, every nation will return to its land, and all of them will be under the rule of Israel - and this does not mean the government of Israel in today's sense, but the rule of Melech HaMoshiach, as it says: "They shall put forth their hand upon Edom and Moab, and the children of Ammon shall obey them." When we want to send an errand, a Moabite will immediately stand at your service and say: What do you need? A delivery service anywhere in the world? Everything is at the service of the Jewish people. "And the children of Ammon shall obey them" - if you need someone to do something for you, the Ammonites will obey you and immediately carry out whatever you command.
But for this, friends, first and foremost we must do what Hashem wants, and only then will the next stage arrive. If a person does not want to do Hashem's will, yet expects the nations to do his will - who says he will even be there? We are speaking of the future era of the coming of Moshiach, and only those who truly fulfilled the will of Hashem will arise for the coming of Moshiach. May Hashem grant us the merit to be among them.
And finally, "Thus far is the judgment of Moab." Radak explains: Because the prophet elaborated at length on the account of the calamity, he said "Thus far" - just as after a lengthy discussion one says: That is it, this is where we conclude. Malbim explains that in the prophecy of Ammon later on, we will see that Ai and Heshbon, which are cities of Moab, will be destroyed, and it is stated there that this is the judgment of the children of Ammon; whereas here, it refers to Moab's judgment on its own account, and not on account of others. Their judgment in connection with the children of Ammon will continue later, but the judgment of the people of Moab on their own reaches its end here. Therefore, the verse emphasizes: "Thus far is the judgment of Moab."
In summary:
Our chapter teaches that Moab's pride was its downfall: the prophet advised them to flee, but arrogance, pride, and haughtiness prevented them from listening, and their wrath and hatred toward Israel deafened their ears to good counsel. From that point on, the prophet details the downfall: a cry from Heshbon to Horonaim, the silencing of joy and the winepresses, the cessation of the high places, mourning in every home, lamentation on the rooftops, the shame of fleeing from battle, an eagle spreading its wings over the heart of the land, and a trap of fear, the pit, and the snare from which there is no escape. And amidst all this, a unique dimension of Jewish prophecy is revealed: "My heart moans like flutes for Moab" - the prophets of Israel are not like the prophets of the nations; rather, they mourn the calamity that befalls the nations, for the Holy One, blessed be He, does not desire the destruction of any nation, but that they fulfill their role and not exert a negative influence upon us. Therefore, the verse concludes with a promise: "Yet I will return the captivity of Moab in the end of days" - that they too will return to their land and be subject to the reign of Melech HaMoshiach, provided that we first do the will of Hashem.